Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Don't we have two evils?
I'm against war. Especially unnecessary wars. And that means most wars. I'd rather see us save lives and divert the immense cost of wars into peaceful endeavors. Imagine what we could have done in America with the money spent so far on the Iraq and Afghanistan debacles. We all could be living on Easy Street. Instead, we keep dumping money and lives down a rat hole, so to speak. We haven't made the world any safer by going to war. And we've depleted our national treasury. We've also made ourselves a morally corrupt society. Of course, we rationalize by saying we are going to war against evil. But if one fights evil with evil, don't we have two evils? --Jim Broede
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
21 comments:
As a nation, maybe we'd be better off cleaning up our own act rather than focusing on cleaning up the acts of others. --Jim
During the World War II period, it was admirable that we took on the Nazis for the way they treated Jews. But at the same time, we were treating black people in our own country like shit. Didn't seem to bother our collective conscience at the time. --Jim
During the Nazi era, the rest of the world could have offered to take Germany's Jews. But with rare exception, the rest of the world didn't. --Jim
It's so easy for most of us to overlook the problems of others. Like the 46 million Americans without health insurance. Seems like our attitude is that's their problem. Not ours. Because most of us have insurance. So to hell with universal coverage. A pity, isn't it? --Jim Broede
Our Republican friends in the Senate seem intent on filibustering to death any legislation that will bring about a public option of health care for people that can't afford it. Now, if that isn't evil, tell me what is. --Jim
Sometimes I'm proud to be an American. Other times, not. --Jim
" Like the 46 million Americans without health insurance."
AFTER you subtract the millions of people who CAN afford insurance but choose to not buy it, the millions who do not take advantage of EXISTING taxpayer-funded programs, the over 2 million inmates in the prison system who receive health care without insurance, the millions of illegal residents, prostitutes and drug addicts-who would not obtain insurance even if offered(they already receive medical care in the ER and free clinics), the actual number of Americans who want insurance, but cannot obtain it is about 8 million, or about 2.5% of the U.S population.
You and the bleeding-hearts in Washington D.C. are going to be the death of this country. I hope, to God, that the current proposed legislation does not pass.
I don't know about you, but I really can't afford to pay for health insurance for others. I barely get by, paying for my own, the cost of which will increase dramatically, if the current legislation passes.
If not checked, this type of legislation will lead us right into Communism. YOU may be very content to live in countries such as: People's Republic of China, Republic of Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos), or Socialist Republic of Vietnam, but I am not.
I am ALWAYS proud to be an American.
Americans express broad, and in some cases growing, discontent with the U.S. health care system, based on its costs, structure and direction alike — fueling cautious support for a government-run, taxpayer-funded universal health system modeled on Medicare.
In an extensive ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll, Americans by a 2-1 margin, 62-32 percent, prefer a universal health insurance program over the current employer-based system.
So I say, Maebee, give the people what they want. --Jim
I know, too, of proud Americans who are proud to be on the lunatic fringe of the Republican Party. --Jim
I was addressing the number you cited as the number of Americans without health insurance.
You really should give credit when you quote.
Also,
"This ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone Oct. 9-13, 2003, among a random national sample of 1,000 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Fieldwork was conducted by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa."
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/US/healthcare031020_poll.html
Polls are far from exact, and can be tweaked toward certain outcomes, simply by the way the questions are asked, and subliminal messaging. If you read up more on this particular poll, you will understand what I mean.
I am a proud American independent. I have always voted for the person, not the party, and have missed only one election since I registered at 18, including local ones. Neither do I prejudge a person by his political leanings.
BTW, I have an Obama/Biden bumper sticker on my vehicle.
My gawd, Maebee, you've been tweaked. You have become a walking encyclopedia. --Jim
It's obvious that you prejudge people, Maebee. I'm not sure by what criteria. --Jim
I can be a dictionary, too.
prejudge |prēˈjəj|
verb [ trans. ]
form a judgment on (an issue or person) prematurely and without having adequate information.
I do not prejudge. My opinions of people are based on information they, themselves give to me
Same here, Maebee. That's how I know that you manufacture baloney. Lots of it. If we ate all the baloney you try to feed us, we'd become fat. I wonder, do you eat your baloney? If so, you've got a weight problem. --Jim
I'm afraid what you say, and what you do, are in conflict with each other. The struggle must be hard to bear, at times.
Ah, life is a wonderful struggle, isn't it? I'd love to struggle this way forever. --Jim
According to a study in the August issue of the American Journal of Medicine, increasing numbers of people are going bankrupt because of illness and medical costs. Health-related debts caused 62.1 percent of all bankruptcies in 2007, up from 46 percent six years earlier.
Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, the study's senior author, expects about the same percentage of this year's anticipated 1.4 million to 1.5 million bankruptcies to be caused at least in part by medical expenses.
The increases are caused largely by "health coverage that is getting skimpier and skimpier," said Woolhandler, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
According to the American Journal of Medicine study, out-of-pocket medical costs averaged $17,943 for all medically bankrupt families in 2007 ( $26,971 for uninsured families and $17,749 for those who had private insurance at the outset)
Many of the insured would love to have coverage...but...Cannot afford it.
Less and less employers are offering health insurance and many of those are offering limited liability policies that impose such limitations and high cost sharing that employees cannot afford to use them.
In 2008 the average cost for a comprehensive employee sponsored health insurance policy for a family was $13951. The cost of non-employee coverage is substantially higher. At those prices many Americans would have to choose between food and shelter and health insurance.
The current tax code that limits the deductibility of medical expenses to the amount over 7.5% of gross income often makes the standard deduction the most lucerative option.
The emergency room of a private hospital must legally patch an individual up good enough to allow them the be transported to a public emergency room (one that takes federal tax dollars).
Once an uninsured individual arrives there...they are patched up to the degree that they can return home. They do not necessarily return home with their problems solved.
Emergency rooms do not provide continuity of care or preventive medicine.
Emergency rooms do not dispense medications on an ongoing basis. Those requiring on going medications for things like blood pressure and diabetes are S. O. L. and wait until their condition requires major intervention.
Like any other business emergency rooms like to get paid. Unfortunately they charge a great deal more than a visit to a doctor. As taxpayers we are covertly being charged for the care of the uninsured. I think this amounts to a little over $1000 per taxpayer per year.
Post a Comment